Can wrapper



March 30, 1965 H. w. FORRER 3,175,682

CAN WRAPPER Filed July 13, 1962 INVENTOR HOMER W- FORRER ATTORNEY 3,l75,h82 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 3,175,682 CAN APPER Homer W. Forrer, Atlanta, Ga, assignor to The Mead Corporation, a corporation of )hio Filed .Inly 13, 1962, Ser. No. 209,697 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to can wrappers and more particularly to a wrapper for packaging two rows of chined cans, the wrapper being specially adapted to provide stable and level stacking of the packages one on top of another and also to prevent damage to any one of the cans by the chine of an adajcent can.

Many segments of the canning industry currently are using metal of a lighter weight and which is thinner than that which was used previously. This trend toward lighter weight metal tends to render the cans made from the lighter metal more vulnerable to damage when the chines of one can engage the chines of another can and particularly when relative vertical movement takes place between adjacent cans.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper for packaging two rows of chined cans in such a way as to prevent relative vertical movement of the cans and also so as to provide level stable stacking of one package on top of another.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper for chined cans having panels which are in contacting relation to the can ends and at least one of which is provided with means for securing the cans in position with respect to the adjacent contacting wrapper panel and by so doing to prevent relative sliding movement of the cans in the direction of their axes.

The invention in one form as used for packaging two rows of chined cans comprises parallel spaced apart wall panels which form opposite panels of a tubular wrapper arranged to lie flat against the ends of the packaged cans and which are provided with a pair of tabs struck out of one or both of such panels and folded inwardly of the wrapper along a fold line which is disposed medially of the panels, each of the tabs being doubled back on itself to engage the adjacent chine of the adjacent cans and in this way to secure the ends of the adjacent cans on opposite sides of the medial fold line in a fixed relation relative to the panel from which the tabs are struck. Since one of the tabs engages one of the cans on one side of the wrapper, such tab, of course, is struck from the adjacent portion of the wrapper panel. In like fashion the other tab is struck from the other side of the medial fold line adjacent the end of the can whose chine is to be engaged thereby. According to a feature of the invention, the coincidental fold lines for the tabs comprising each pair of tabs may be of different lengths and, if desired, one tab may be disposed sothat the body portion thereof extends at an acute angle to the panel from which it is struck in the direction of the medial fold line and in this manner the turned back portion thereof is caused to lie immediately opposite the turned back portion of the other tab of the pair of tabs.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrapper embodying the invention and showing chined cans in place within the wrapper; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wrapper depicted in FIG. 1 as Viewed from the inside surface; FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the end of the carrier depicted in FIG. 1 taken at the top of the package and medially of the top panel; and in which FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but depicting the bottom center end portion of the carrier.

With reference to FIG. 1 the numeral 1 is used to designate generally the top panel of the carrier while the numerals 2 and 3 are used to designate the two side walls of the carrier. The bottom wall of the carrier is designated generally by the numeral 4 and preferably is a composite wall made up of a pair of lap panels as is well understood in the art. As is apparent from FIG. 1 the wrapper is depicted in conjunction with two rows of cans designated individually by the letter C.

As is best shown in FIG. 2 the top panel 1 is defined on one side by a fold line 5 which interconnects side Wall 3 with top wall 1. Side wall 2 is foldably joined along an edge of top panel 1 by the fold line 6. Preferably, a number of openings '7 are provided along the fold line 5 and similar chine receiving slits S are formed along the fold line 6 in known manner.

As explained the bottom panel 4 is made up of a pair of lap panels 9 and 1%. Lap panel 9 is foldably joined along the bottom edge of side panel 3 along a fold line 11 while lap panel it? is foldably joined to the bottom edge of side wall 2 along a fold line 12. Can chine receiving slots 13 are formed along the fold line 11 and similar solts 14 are formed along the fold line 12. A medial bottom partitioning panel 15 is foldably joined along the fold line 16 to an edge of bottom lap panel 10.

For the purpose of securing the lap panels 9 and 10 together a pair of locking tabs 17 are formed along an edge of lap panel 9 and cooperating retaining tabs 18 define apertures which respectively receive the locking tabs 17 to secure panels 9 and it) together. The structure and function of the locking arrangement comprising locking tabs 17 and the openings defined by retaining tabs 18 are described and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,786,572, Gentry, issued March 26, 1957 and owned by the assignee of this invention.

As can best be seen in FIG. 1 the medial partition 15 is disposed at a right angle to the bottom wall 4 and forms a medial separator for the bottom of the cans, such structure being shown in detail in FIG. 4.

For the purpose of adapting the wrapper depicted in FIG. 2 to receive machine tightening elements, the lap panel 9 is provided with a pair of spaced tightening apertures 19 while the lap panel It) is provided with a pair of spaced tightening apertures 26. As is explained in the aforementioned U. S. Patent 2,786,572, the wrapper is tightened by suitable machine elements which enter the tightening apertures 19 and 20 after the wrapper is disposed about the cans and which are then moved toward each other. In this way the lap panels 9 and it are drawn tightly across the bottom of the package. Thereafter the package is securely formed when the locking tabs 17 are driven through the openings defined by the retaining tabs 18.

For the purpose of securing the end can chines within the end slots 13 the lap panel 9 is provided with can chine engaging flaps El and the lap panel 10 is similarly provided with can chine engaging flaps 22. As is fully disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,768,741 issued October 30, 1956, on an application filed by G. C. Currie, tabs 21 are folded inwardly of the package out of the plane of the lap panel 9 along fold lines 21a so as to lie flat across the end of the adjacent cans. In this way the can chines of the two end cans are forced securely within the corner slits 13. In similar fashion the cans on the oppoiste side of the wrapper are securely held within the slits 14.

Flaps similar to 21 and 22 are also proivded in top panel 1 and perform a similar function. For instance, in top panel 1 the flaps 23 are struck out of the top panel 1 and are foldahly joined to the panel along the fold lines 24. Thus when flaps 23 are folded inwardly approximately 180 the chines of the adjacent cans are forced 3 securely within the corner slits 7. In like fashion the flaps are foldably joined along fold lines 26 and function in a manner identical to the flaps 23.

For the purpose of adapting the wrapper for easy portability, suitable finger gripping tabs 27 and 28 are struck out of top panel 1 to form finger gripping holes and, if desired, may be foldably joined thereto along fold lines 29 and 3t respectively.

In accordance with this invention and in order to provide for stable level stacking of one package on top of another and to prevent the chines of the cans in one row from damaging the adjacent cans in the other row, a plurality of tabs are struck out of top panel 1. For example, tab 31 is struck out of the left side of panel 1 as viewed from the inside of the wrapper in FIG. 2 and is foldably joined thereto along fold line 32. As is ap parent from FIG. 3, tab 31 is folded back on itself along fold line 33 so that the inwardly extending edge 34 thereof abuts the lower portion of the chine 35 of the adjacent can C. In like fashion tab 36 is struck out of the righthand side of panel 1 as viewed in FIG. 2 and is foldably joined thereto along the fold line 37. It will be observed that fold lines 32 and 37 are coincidental but are not coextensive in accordance with a feature of this invention. Furthermore, tab 36 is provided with a medial fold line 38 which enables the tab to be doubled back on itself and in this way to cause the outer end 39 thereof to abut the bottom edge of chine 40 of the adjacent can C. With edge 39 of tab 36 securely abutting chine 40 and with edge 34', of tab 31 securely abutting the lower edge of chine 35, it is apparent that both cans C in each row of cans are securely held flat against the top panel 1. In this way relative vertical movement between the cans in one row and the cans in the other row is prevented. In this manner stable level stacking characteristics are imparted to the package formed of the wrapper made according to this invention and in addition the chine such as 35 of one can is prevented from engaging the chine such as 40 of a adjacent can. If these chines are in effect isolated from one another they are rendered incapable of damaging the cans and causing leakage thereof.

Disposed at the other end of panel 1 are a pair of tabs 41 and 42. These tabs 41 and 42 are similar to the tabs 31 and 36 and a detailed description thereof is not deemed necessary.

Disposed at the center of top panel 1 are tabs 43 and 44 which also function in a manner similar to tabs 41, 42 and 31, 36. Tabs 43 and 44 are different from the other tabs in that their fold lines 45 and 46 are of different lengths. Thus the fold line 45 for tab 43 is much shorter than the fold line 46 for tab 44. The tabs 43 and 44 are doubled back on themselves in a manner described above in connection with tabs 31 and 36 and a detailed description thereof is not deemed necessary.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chined cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form an open-ended tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a first stab struck out of one of said parallel walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in one of the rows of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between the two rows of cans along a fold line disposed medially of said one parallel wall and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine or said can in said one row of cans, and a second tab struck out of said one of said parallel Walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in the other row of cans and opposite said can in said one row of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between the two rows of cans along said fold line and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine of said can in the other row of cans, the fold line for said second tab being coincidental but not coextensive with the fold line for said first tab.

2. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chined cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form an openended tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a first tab struck out of one of said parallel walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in one of the rows of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper along a fold line disposed medially of said one parallel wall and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine of said can in said one row of cans, and a second tab struck out of said one of said parallel walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in the other row of cans and opposite said can in said one row of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper along said fold line and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine of said can in the other row of cans, the fold lines for said tabs being coincidental and the fold line for said first tab being offset with respect to the fold line for said second tab in the direction of said fold lines.

3. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chined cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form an open-ended tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a first tab struck out of one of said parallel walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in one of the rows of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper along a fold line disposed medially of said one parallel Wall and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine of said can in said one row of cans, and a second tab struck out of said one of said parallel Walls from a part thereof adjacent the end of a can in the other row of cans and opposite said can in said row of cans and foldable inwardly of the wrapper along said fold line and doubled back on itself to engage the innermost surface of the adjacent chine of said can in the other row of cans, the fold lines for said tabs being coincidental and the fold line for said first tab being offset with respect to the fold line for said second tab in the direction of said fold lines, and the body portion of at least one of said tabs being disposed at an acute angle to its fold line and extending toward the other of said tabs in a direction medially of the Wrapper to cause the doubled back position thereof to lie directly opposite-to the doubled back portion of the other of said tabs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,722,365 11/55 Phipps 206-65 3,032,185 5/62 Ellis et al. 206-65 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A WRAPPER FOR PACKAGING TWO ROWS OF CHINED CANS WHOSE AXES ARE DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION, SAID WRAPPER COMPRISING GENERALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS INTERCONNECTED BY SPACED SIDE WALLS TO FORM AN OPEN-ENDED TUBULAR STRUCTURE, TE PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS BEING APPROXIMATELY AS WIDE AS TWICE THE DIAMETER OF THE CANS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TO ROWS AND BEING DISPOSED IN CONTACTING GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE ENDS OF THE PACKAGED CANS, A FIRST STAB STRUCK OUT OF ONE OF SAID PARALLEL WALLS FROM A PART THEREOF ADJACENT THE END OF A CAN IN ONE OF THE ROWS OF CANS AND FOLDABLE INWARDLY OF THE WRAPPER AND BETWEEN THE TWO ROW OF CANS ALONG A FOLD LINE DISPOSED MEDIALLY OF SAID ONE PARALLEL WALL AND DOUBLED BACK ON ITSELF TO ENGAGE THE INNERMOST SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT CHINE OR SAID CAN IN SAID ONE ROW OF CANS, AND A SECOND TAB STRUCK OUT OF SAID ONE OF SAID PARALLEL WALLS FROM A PART THEREOF ADJACENT THE END OF A CAN IN THE OTHER ROW OF CANS AN OPPOSITE SAID CAN IN SAID ONE ROW OF CANS AND FOLDABLE INWARDLY OF THE WRAPPER AND BETWEEN THE TWO ROWS OF CANS ALONG SAID FOLD LINE AND DOUBLED BACK ON ITSELF TO ENGAGE THE INNERMOST SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT CHINE OF SAID CAN IN THE OTHER ROW OF CANS, THE FOLD LINE FOR SAID SECOND TAB. BEING COINCIDENTAL BUT NOT COEXTENSIVE WITH THE FOLD LINE FOR SAID FIRST TAB. 